Former TN minister's premises raided

After being lodged in jail for over a month now, former higher education minister K Ponmudi is now being raided by the vigilance and anti-corruption unit officials.

indiaUpdated: Sep 27, 2011 12:01 IST

HT Correspondent

Hindustan Times

After being lodged in jail for over a month now, former higher education minister K Ponmudi is now being raided by the vigilance and anti-corruption unit officials.

Pondmudi is among the five former DMK ministers in custody over land grab charges. Another former minister KPP Samy is in jail in connection with a murder charge.

On Monday, the DMK had moved the President and the national human rights commission alleging that its leaders were being ill-treated in jails and denied human rights.

Unmindful of allegations, the Jayalalithaa government has from Day One launched drives against land grab and corruption of previous ministers. Former chief minister M Karuanidhi is also facing allegations of ommissions and commissions in the construction of new secretariat and assembly complex.

On Tuesday, officials from vigilance department began simultaneous raids on the premises of Ponmudi, his son and the father of his son-in-law at 15 locations in Chennai, Villupurm and Tiruchirapalli.

The former minister Ponmudi's close friend Nizamudeen is also under the scanner, official sources said.

Ponmudi is already lodged in jail after his arrest on August 31 on allegations of grabbing land alloted to a housing cololy, childrens park and a community hall in Villupuram.